Delhiwale: Quiet stands the gumbad

The humid August afternoon is settling gently on the yellow walls of Gol Gumbad

The humid August afternoon is settling gently on the yellow walls of Gol Gumbad. Weak sunlight is making its way through the branches of a leafy tree, scattering across the walls. Leaf shadows are trembling in the mild breeze, making the wall seem to breathe.

The pale walls were catching just enough light from two street lamps to remind the passing commuters that Gol Gumbad was still there.

Lodhi Road is rich in centuries-old monuments. Within a short distance stand Humayun’s Tomb, Safdarjung’s Tomb, and the stone ensemble inside Lodhi Garden. Gol Gumbad, which stands right beside the road, remains the least noticed. Traffic streams past the monument every hour, but hardly anybody slows down to notice its square body and broad dome.

This afternoon, the monument compound is open, but the iron gate to the gumbad is locked. The building is, in any case, architecturally more interesting from the outside. A recessed arch frames two red sandstone jaali windows, one above the other. Their latticework admits the daylight into the empty chamber inside, while also allowing one to peer into it. Near the base of one jaali window, a bicycle leans against the wall.

Walk around, and Gol Gumbad reveals another face, shaped by the world around it. The adjacent traffic circle, the flyover, the smooth cycle track, and the endless movement of cars and autos on Lodhi Road come into view. Such noisy surroundings. Such a silent monument.

There was a time when this monument looked utterly neglected and smelled musty and damp, even in the dry heat of May. Bird droppings stained the floor, and bats filled the interior with their chee-chee sounds. A samosa stall stood beside the monument, where the cook fried fresh batches of samosas in the same oil throughout the day. All that became history after the monument underwent extensive renovation in 2010, the year of the Delhi Commonwealth Games. Today, Gol Gumbad feels less forgotten than many similar Lodhi-era domed tombs scattered across Delhi.

Weeks ago, during a post-sunset rush hour evening, the monument showed a different character. It was plunged in darkness. The pale walls were catching just enough light from two street lamps to remind the passing commuters that Gol Gumbad was still there. See photo.